Learn how to express positive and negative opinions in Spanish using 'está bien/mal' for actions and 'es bueno/malo' for general qualities, with key phrases like ¡Qué bien! and ¡Qué mal! to share emotions.
- Bien / mal are used to describe actions or states. They are used with the verb estar.
- Bueno / malo are used with the verb ser. They can be accompanied by a noun for general or permanent characteristics.
- ¡Qué bien! / ¡Qué mal! express emotions or reactions to situations.
| Expresión (Expression) | Ejemplo (Example) |
|---|---|
| Está bien + infinitivo | Subir la montaña está bien para hacer ejercicio. (Climbing the mountain is good for exercising.) |
| Está mal + infinitivo | Está mal caminar sin botas de montaña. (It is wrong to walk without mountain boots.) |
| Sustantivo + es bueno | Caminar es bueno para la salud. (Walking is good for health.) |
| Es malo + infintivo | Es malo hacer senderismo con mochila pesada. (It is bad to go hiking with a heavy backpack.) |
| ¡Qué bien! + infinitivo | ¡Qué bien estar junto al lago con amigos! (How great to be by the lake with friends!) |
| ¡Qué mal! + infinitivo | ¡Qué mal olvidar las botas de montaña! (¡How bad to forget the hiking boots!) |
Exercise 1: Expresar lo positivo y lo negativo: "Bien/ Bueno, Mal/ Malo"
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
¡Qué mal!, es malo, Está bien, está mal, es bueno, Es bueno
1.
Negativo :
El senderismo era peligroso y eso ....
(Hiking was dangerous and that is bad.)
2.
Positivo:
: ... relajarse junto al lago después de subir
(It's good to relax by the lake after climbing)
3.
Positivo :
Caminar por el bosque ... para relajarse.
(Walking through the forest is good for relaxing.)
4.
Positivo:
: ... esperar la amanecer aquí en el lago.
(It is fine to wait for the sunrise here by the lake.)
5.
Negativo:
: No seguir el camino marcado ....
(Not following the marked path is bad.)
6.
Positivo:
: ... hacer algo que te guste un domingo por la mañana
(It is good to do something you like on a Sunday morning)
7.
Negativo :
Subir la montaña sin agua ... para la salud.
(Climbing the mountain without water is bad for your health.)
8.
Negativo :
... Me olvidé las botas de montaña.
(How bad! I forgot the hiking boots.)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct sentence that appropriately expresses something positive or negative using 'bien/bueno' or 'mal/malo'. Observe the relationship with the verbs 'estar' or 'ser'.
1.
'Bien' is never used with 'ser', it is a common mistake to confuse it.
'Bueno' with 'ser' is used for permanent characteristics or nouns; with action, it is incorrect.
2.
Although 'mal' with 'estar' describes a state, here it talks about a permanent characteristic, not a temporary state.
'Malo' with 'estar' is incorrect, for a negative state 'mal' is used.
3.
'¡Qué bien!' should not be accompanied by the verb 'ser' in this construction.
'¡Qué bueno!' is not the typical expression for emotion or reaction in this context.
4.
'Mal' is not used with 'ser'; for a characteristic 'malo' is used.
With an infinitive for negative actions, 'está mal' is used, not 'es malo'.